Collapsible tube



Ailg- 0, 1940. A. BROSSETTE I 2,212,433

COLLAPSIB'LE TUBE Filed Oct. 5, 1937 Patented Aug. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE' Application October 5, 1937, Serial No. 167,437 In Germany July 2, 1936 15 Claims.

to, and may compete with tubes of sheet metal] and satisfies all reasonable requirements.

My invention is based on the fact that, in any tube produced by winding up a strip of organic sheet material and by gluing the superimposed plies together by an intermediate layer ofbinding material, the intermediate layer has a function which has not been recognized prior to my invention. I have found that the nature of the intermediate layer is controlling on the qualities of the product. Moreover I have found it necessary to subject the sheet of a cellulose material to a preparatory treatment thus enabling the sheet to properly cooperate with the intermediate layer. The primary consideration for the choice of the intermediate layer is the necessity that such layer should not only act as a glue but go-should also have additional functions, particularly the function as an insulating medium rendering the tube moisture-proof.

I have found that the tubes produced in accordance with my invention are entirely free from the shortcomings of the tubes of a cellulose material produced in accordance with known processes.

The improved process comprises preferably three steps, to-wit coating the cellulose sheet material with a moisture-proof layer, coating such layer with a gum or glue and winding up the sheet material so treated to form a cylindrical body from which the collapsible tube is produced in a known manner.

For the purpose of my invention I prefer to use a sheet material consisting of a cellulose ester such as acetyl cellulose or nitro-cellulose. I may also use other cellulose derivatives such as viscose. Such sheet materials or foils are available on the market. Very frequently they are coated with a varnish comprising a solution of nitro-cellulose or cellulose or the like.

Further objects of my invention will appear from the description of a preferred embodiment thereof following hereinafter with reference to the drawing in which I have shown a tube which may be manufactured by my improved process.

The tube shown on the drawing comprises the cylindrical body A consisting of superimposed plies formed by winding up a strip of sheet ma- 5 terial on a mandrel, the plies being glued together so as to constitute a pliable sleeve. The lower end of the tube. thus formed is closed in any suitable manner, e. g. by pressing the opposed walls of the tube upon each other and by folding them over, as indicated at B. The upper end C is pressed in suitable dies to form a mouth piece provided with threads D to receive a threaded cover, not shown.

My invention is primarily concerned with the first step of this process, 1. e. the winding of the strip of material upon a mandrel to form the tube body A.

In producing this body I may start with a strip of acetyl cellulose and with a liquid produced by mixing collodium elasticum, traumaticin and benzyl alcohol. Traumaticin is a solution of gutta-perchain a solvent comprising trichlorae thylen and an acetone-like medium such as drawin which is adapted to partly dissolve acetyl cellulose. Drawin is an acetone solution which is mixed with cheaper solvents. This liquid is applied to one or both sides of the sheet material in a thin layer, e. g. by means of rollers. The

liquid has the eil'ect of superficially dissolving the 3l sheet material thus rendering the surface there of porous whereby the. gutta-percha contained in the liquid. is enabled to penetrate into the pores. Then the solvent is removed, e. g. vaporized in vacuum. As a result, the gutta-percha will constitute a thin coat which is intimately interlocked with the sheet material. The collodium elasticum contained in the liquid will form a film of nitro-cellulose. The benzyl alcohol serves solely the function of producing a mixture between traumaticin and collodium elasticum and disappears when the solvent is vaporized. After the vaporization, the sheet material of acetyl cellulose is coated and intimately interlocked with a layer of gutta-percha constituting a moisture-proof material. This layer of gutta-percha is coated in its turn with a layer of a nitro-cellulose varnish. The coated sheet material so produced is now in a condition to be provided on its coated face with a layer of a 50 suitable adhesive of glue, containing e. g. a

. polymerization product, such as polyacrylacidester or gutta-percha. I prefer to dissolve this adhesive in a volatile solvent containing a small percentage of a liquid adapted to superficially dissolve the layer of varnish. Suitable solvents are, for instance, chloroform, sulfuric or ethylic ether, acetone, gasoline, benzol or benzene, alcohol and the like. Therefore, when the adhesive is applied to the coated sheet material, the coating of varnish thereon will be superficially dissolved and rendered porous enabling the adhesive to penetrate into the pores of the layer of varnish.

Before the adhesive layer is dried, the sheet material is wound up on a suitable mandrel. In this operation the adhesive on one ply will contact with the cellulose material of the superimposed ply and will superficially dissolve the cellulose material thereof. As a result, the adhesive will intimately interlock with the superimposed layer of cellulose material and will thus bind the two plies efiectively one to another.

I may admix a pigment either to the liquid consisting of collodium elasticum, traumaticin and benzyl alcohol or to the adhesive, if it is desired to produce an opaque tube. Such a pigment may be a pulverized aluminum or a suitable color. The admixture of a pulverized aluminum has the additional advantage of enhancing the resistivity against moisture.

In another form of my improved process the first step comprises superficially dissolving the sheet material of acetyl cellulose, e. g. by use of a suitable solvent such as acetone. Then a solution of gutta-percha is applied to the sheet material to produce the moisture-proof layer. This layer is dried and is then coated with a suitable varnish. After the coat of varnish has been dried, it is superficially dissolved again and then provided with a coat of adhesive. Before the adhesive is dry, the sheet material is wound up upon the mandrel and is then permitted to While I have described two preferred embodi ments of my invention, I wish it to be clearly understood that my invention is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Thus I may use other moisture-proof materials than gutta-percha to coat the sheet material, e. g. rubber. Also, other cellulose-containing sheet materials than transparent sheets may be used, e. g. paper. Moreover anyone skilled in the art will readily appreciate that a great multiplicity of various solvents may be selected depending on the properties of the sheet material, of the mosture-proof coat and of the adhesive.

What-I claim is:

1. Process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials consisting in treating a sheet of a transparent cellulose derivative with a solution of collodium elasticum, traumaticin and benzyl alcohol, coating said treated sheet with a material substantially different from and with superficial solvent properties for the cellulose derivative material, said coating serving as an intermediate layer having adhesive, isolating and insulating properties and winding said sheet onto a cylinder to form a tube, said coating holding the wound sheet together.

ing a sheet of a transparent cellulose derivative tion of collodium elasticum, traumaticin and benzyl alcohol, coating said treated sheet with a material substantially different form, and with' superficial solvent properties for. the cellulose derivative material, said coating serving as an intermediate layer having adhesive, isolating and insulating properties winding the sheet onto a cylinder to form a tube, said adhesive coating holding the wound sheet together.

3. Process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials consisting in treating a sheet of a transparent cellulose derivative with a solution of collodium elasticum, traumticin and benzyl alcohol, coating said treated sheet with a material substantially difierentfrom, and with superficial solvent properties for, the cellulose derivative material, said coating containing a pigment carrier and serving as an intermediate layer having adhesive, isolating and insulating properties, winding the sheetonto a cylinder to form a tube, said adhesive coating holding the wound sheet together.

4. A process for the production of. tubes for the reception of plastic materials consisting'in coating a sheet of a transparent cellulose derivative with a varnish, treating said sheet with a solution of collodium elasticum, traumaticin and. benzyl alcohol, coating said treated sheet with a material substantially diilerent from, and with superficial solvent properties for, the cellulose derivative material, said coating containing a pigment carrier, and serving as an intermediate layer having adhesive, isolating and insulating properties, winding the sheet onto a cylinder to form a tube, said adhesive coating holding the wound sheet together.

5. A process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials consisting in treating a sheet of a transparent cellulose derivative with a solution of collodium elasticum, traumaticin and benzyl alcohol, coating said treated sheet with a material substantially different from, and with superficial solvent properties for, the cellulose derivative material, said coating containing aluminium powder and serving as an intermediate layer having adhesive, isolating and insulating properties, winding the sheet onto a cylinder to form a tube, said coating holding the wound sheet together.

6. A process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic material consisting in coating a sheet of a transparent cellulose derivative with a varnish, treating said sheet with a solution of collodium elasticum, traumaticin and benzyl alcohol, coating said treated sheet with a material substantially difierent from, and

with superficial solvent properties for, the cellulose derivative material, said coating containing aluminium powder and serving as an intermediate layer having adhesive, isolating and insulating properties, winding said sheet onto a cylinder to form a tube, said adhesive coating holding the wound sheet together. a

7. In a process for the production of tubes for the recepton of plastic materials, the steps which comprise treating a sheet of a cellulose derivative with a moisture-proof material which is dissolvedin a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the cellulose derivative, coating said treated sheet with an adhesive with superficial solvent properties for the treated cellulose derivative sheet, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel to form a tube the walls of which consist of a plurality of superimposed layers of said superimposed layers.

wound sheet with intermediate layers of said moisture-proof material and said adhesive between the said superimposed layers.

8. In a process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials, the steps which comprise treating a sheet of a cellulose derivative with a moisture-proof material of the group comprising gutta-percha and rubber which is dissolved in a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the cellulose derivative, coating said treated sheet with an adhesive with superficial solvent properties for the treated cellulose derivative sheet, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel to form a tube the walls of which consist of a plurality of superimposed layers of said wound sheet with intermediate layers of said moistureproof material and said adhesive between the said superimposed layers.

9. In a process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials, the steps which comprise treating a sheet of a cellulose derivative with a moisture-proof material which is dissolved in a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the cellulose derivative, coating said treated sheet with an adhesive with superficial solvent properties for the treated cellulose derivative sheet, of the group comprising solutions of polymerisation products and gutta-percha, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel to form a tube the walls of which consist of a plurality of superimposed layers of said wound sheet with intermediate layers of said moisture-proof material and said adhesive between said superimposed layers.

10. In a process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials, the steps which comprise treating a sheet of a cellulose derivative with a moisture-proof material which is dissolved in a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the cellulose derivative, coating said treated sheet with polyacrylacidester dissolved in a volatile solvent containing a small percentage of a liquid adapted to dissolve the surface of the treated cellulose derivative sheet, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel to form a tube the walls of which consist of a plurality of superimposed layers of said wound sheet with intermediate layers oi said moisture-proof material and said polyacrylacidestcr between the said 11. In a process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials,the steps which comprise treating a sheet of a cellulose derivative with a moisture-proof material of the group comprising gutta-percha and rubber which is dissolved in a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the cellulose derivative, coating said treated sheet with an adhesive with superficial solvent properties for the treated cellulose derivative sheet, of the group comprising solutions of polymerisation products and gutta-percha, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel to form a tube the walls 01' which consist of a plurality of superimposed layers of said wound sheet with intermediate layers of said moisture-proof mau terial and said adhesive between the said super- 12. In a process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials, the steps which comprise treating a sheet of a cellulose derivative with a moisture-proof material which is dissolved in a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the cellulose-derivative, coating said treated sheet with an adhesive with superficial solvent properties for the treated cellulose derivative sheet, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel 4 a moisture-proof material which is dissolved in a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the cellulose derivative, coating said treated sheet with an adhesive withsuperficial solvent properties for the treated cellulose derivative sheet, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel to form a tube the walls of which consist of a plurality of superimposed layers of said'wound sheet with intermediate layers of said moisture-proof material and said adhesive between the said superimposed layers.

14. In a process for the production of tubes for the reception of plastic materials, the steps which comprise superficially disolving a sheet of a cellulose derivative, treating said sheet with a moisture-proof material which is dissolved in a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the cellulose derivative, drying and coating the treated sheet with a varnish, drying said varnish coating, superficially redissolving the varnish coating and coating said treated sheet with an adhesive with superficial solvent properties for the treated cellulose derivative sheet, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel to form a tube the walls of which consist 01' a plurality of superimposed layers of said woundsheet with intermediate layers of said moisture-proof material and said adhesive between the said superimposed layers.

15. In a process of producing tubes for the reception of plastic material from commercial cellulose sheet material having a varnish coating on its surface, the steps which comprise treating a sheet of a cellulose derivative with a moistureproof material which is dissolved in a liquid having a solvent action with respect to the said varnish coating, coating said treated sheet with an adhesive with superficial solvent properties for the treated cellulose derivative sheet, and winding said sheet onto a mandrel to form a tube the walls of which consist of a plurality of superimposed layers of said wound sheet'with intermediate layers or said moisture-proof material and said adhesive between the said superimposed layers' ALOIS BROSSE'I'I'E. 

